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The First Noel

The First Noel is a traditional Christmas carol that is generally believed to have originated in Cornwall, a region in southwestern England with a rich Celtic heritage. The carol’s Cornish roots are evident in its name, “Noel,” which is derived from the Cornish word “Nowel,” meaning “Christmas.” The song’s melody and structure also bear similarities to other traditional Cornish carols. While the exact date of its composition is unknown, The First Noel is thought to have been written sometime in the 18th or 19th centuries.

I’m a huge fan of artists like Jeff Buckley and Loreena McKennitt — who tend to accentuate their cover songs with long, ethereal preambles and bridges. For “The First Noel” I wrote an introduction in the minor key, and added a post chorus. I believe this adds some depth to the piece, signifying Mary and Joseph’s journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem

The First Noel on streaming:

On Spotify

On Apple Music

On Amazon Music

How to play The First Noel | fingerstyle guitar

The guitar tab for this arrangement is beautifully written across 3 pages. I recommend this piece for intermediate guitar players and up. Enjoy!

The guitar tab is available below:

My song structure looks like this, in accordance with the guitar tab:

Intro

Verse 2x, Chorus, Post Chorus

Verse 2x, Chorus, Post Chorus

[guitar tab] **The First Noel | fingerstyle guitar

This piece is played in standard tuning with a capo on the 5th fret.